It’s been a minute since I blogged. But today I’m reclaiming my voice.

I’ve been sharing my voice in so many places — Substack, Instagram, the podcast, book pitches, writing a whole entire book — but it’s been a minute since I’ve sat down in my own little corner of the internet.

And lately, that’s been tugging at me. Because as much as I love community and visibility, I also need a space where I don’t have to over-explain. Where I can write how I talk. Where I can be messy, soft, reflective, tired, or even wordless… and not feel like I’m at war with the algorithm — and therefore at war with myself.

I’m not here to prove a point.
I’m here to feel my way back to the page.

There’s something sacred about having a space that’s not designed for performance or perfection.
Where I don’t have to fit a caption into a box.
Where I don’t have to check if it’s “shareable.”
Where I don’t have to tie it into a call-to-action or a funnel or a campaign.

This blog — my blog — has always felt like home. And I’ve missed it.

So this post is just me unlocking the door again.

Just me, Shirl, saying: I’m still here.
And I’ve got some things to say — about Support Languages™, about strength, about what it means to be a supported Black woman in a world that asks us to be everything else first.

But I’ll get to all of that later.

For now, this one’s just for me and I hope you’ll join me here as I reclaim my voice.


Resources to Support You:


Shirl is the creator of Support Languages™ and host of Shades of Strong® — a movement shifting the narrative from Strong Black Woman to Supported Black Woman™ through language, rest, and real support.